


The Other Three Questions

by Jelly



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, I have a lot of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 02:53:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16053935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jelly/pseuds/Jelly
Summary: “You know I still have three more questions for you.”“What’s tha’ supposed to mean?”Callum grins at her. It’s a little mischievous and a little overeager, but mostly it’s unnerving because of the way it seems a bit too curious for her liking. “Back on the boat,” he says. “I said I’d ask you five questions. I only got two.”





	The Other Three Questions

 

“You know I still have three more questions for you.”

It’s an odd statement. Rayla doesn’t get it at first. Ellis and Ava had left them at the top of the Cursed Caldera to go home the way they came, and Lujane had bid them farewell at dawn and promised to keep her illusions at bay until nightfall tomorrow night. For now, it’s the five of them, and Rayla’s far too focussed on helping Ezran down the steeper side of the mountain to really think it over.  “What’s tha’ supposed to mean?”

Callum grins at her. It’s a little mischievous and a little overeager, but mostly it’s unnerving because of the way it seems a bit  _ too  _ curious for her liking. “Back on the boat,” he says. “I said I’d ask you five questions. I only got two.”

Rayla huffs and hands Bait down to Ezran. “Tha’ was over a week ago.”

“So?”

“ _ So. _ ” Rayla makes a face and motions for him to go next. “I hardly think now’s the time.”

“It’s the perfect time!” says Callum. He braces himself against her right hand, careful to avoid her still-tender left, and slides carefully down the slope. “Come on, let me have at least one today.”

“ _ Or, _ ” says Rayla, following him down. “We could jus’ keep going and focus on getting down the mountain.”  

“Come on, Rayla,” Ez insists. “We don’t even know you that well. It’ll be fun!” He grins too, only his is  _ much _ more charming than Callum’s. In his arms, Zym yips, tongue lolling eagerly out of his mouth. Ez holds him up like he  _ knows _ Rayla’s resolve is already crumbling and says, “See? Zym wants to get to know you too! How can you say no to that face?”

Rayla makes a face at them -  _ all  _ of them - but it’s Ez that gets her. He’s too much of a sweetheart to refuse. “Fine,” she grumbles. “Ye get  _ one  _ question.  _ Just  _ one.”

Ezran brightens, and he tugs at Callum’s sleeve and leads him further down the mountainside like he wants to discuss it first. They whisper to each other conspiratorially - Ez even glances back at her and giggles into his fist like there’s something uniquely funny about her. Rayla pouts after them before, at last, they turn and let her fall into step between them.

“What do you for fun?” asks Ezran.

“Do Moon Elves even  _ have  _ fun?” adds Callum.

“Tha’s  _ two  _ questions,” grumbles Rayla.

“We’re asking half a question each.” He gives Ez a cheeky grin. “ _ Aren’t we _ , Ez?”

“Yep,” says Ezran happily, and he grins too, only at Rayla, and Rayla suddenly feels unfairly cornered by Callum and Ez’s unceasing curiosity. They link their arms with hers - Ezran very carefully on her left - to keep her from moving away and avoiding them altogether. “Two halves only equal one question!”

Rayla groans. “This isn’  _ fair _ .”

“We’re splitting the rest,” says Callum. “After this, Ez gets one, and I get the other. You only have to answer this one today, we promise.”

“So?” asks Ezran. “Do Moon Elves have fun? What do  _ you _ do for fun?”

Rayla heaves an enormous sigh, and she glances at one brother, and then the other before her shoulders sag and her resolve leaves her completely. “Of course Moon Elves have fun, ye dinguses,” she says at last. “As fer me… I like to explore, I guess,” she mumbles. Ye know - go for wanders by myself, climb trees, find all the best places to hide, tha’ sort of thing…”

“Aw!” says Ez. “You like adventuring?”

Rayla shrugs at him. “I suppose so.”

The boys grin at her - identical mischievous grins that, despite their obvious differences, would prove their relation to anyone who would doubt it. “Does that mean you’re having fun now?” asks Callum. “We  _ are  _ on an adventure, after all.”

Well. It’s not exactly untrue, and despite herself, Rayla allows a chuckle to escape her lips. “Don’ push it,” she says, shaking her head, “but yes, I suppose I am.”

 

 

  
  
The plan is to borrow a couple of horses from the little town of Airedale.

Callum had offered to go into town alone - an offer that both Ezran and Rayla had objected to, but his argument had been pretty compelling. It’s only been a week and a half but Zym is growing quickly and already doesn’t fit inside Ez’s pack, and Rayla’s human impression isn’t exactly fantastic either. Callum’s arm is healing well, but it serves as a reminder of the last time the three of them went into town together and, in the end, Rayla and Ezran had agreed because there wasn’t really much of a choice.

That was hours ago. It’s almost dusk now and Callum hasn’t come back.

“He’s fine, Ez,” says Rayla, starting a fire. “He’s probably just slow.”

“It doesn’t take six hours to go into town and borrow horses,” says Ez, pacing up and down the clearing. “What if he needs help?”

Rayla sighs slowly, because even she knows she’s just as worried about Callum as Ez is. “We have to trust him,” she murmurs. “Give him a little more time. Why don’ ye sit down? Don’ ye have one more question fer me?”

“One more question?”

“Of Callum’s five, from the boat. Remember?”

Ezran pauses, glancing at the lights in town flickering into life. For a moment, Rayla thinks he’s so worried about his brother that he might refuse, but at last, he huffs and slumps onto the makeshift log-seat next to Rayla. “I know you’re just trying to distract me.”

“Is it tha’ obvious?” chuckles Rayla, taking Bait from him and putting him in her lap.

“You hate it when we ask questions.”

“Now tha’s just rude.” Rayla pouts. “I don’  _ always _ hate it. Yer questions are easier to answer than Callum’s anyway. Go on. Ask me anythin’.”

Ezran hums. He studies her. The boys have the same look when they study her - piercing and thoughtful and like they might already know everything about her anyway. It used to make her feel uneasy, but there’s comfort in it now. Rayla doesn’t really understand why.

“You’re worried about Callum too, huh?” says Ezran finally. For a moment, Rayla’s insides freeze up like there’s something to fear about the question that might come next. There’s not. Ezran sucks in a breath and says, “It’s weird. You’ve known us, like, two weeks and when we met you, you were trying to kill me. Now, you’re our best friend. Are all Moon Elves like you?”

Rayla chuckles a little and rubs Bait’s lumpy forehead. “I don’ think so,” she says. “Other Moon Elves are these graceful, beau’iful beings that are amazing at everythin’ they touch. They make every job in the world look easy, no matter wha’ the job is. They can do anythin’. And here I am, travellin’ with two human kids, one of whom I was supposed to assassinate. I think I’m a failure as a Moon Elf, honestly.”

“What a mean thing to say about yourself,” says Ezran, frowning. “You  _ are  _ graceful and beautiful and amazing at everything. You’re even helping end the war! If anything, all Moon Elves should want to be like  _ you. _ ”

Rayla laughs, feeling a little heat creeping into her face. “Ye think so?”

“Callum and I both know so,” says Ez resolutely. “Callum, especially. I don’t think he realizes it yet though.”

She frowns at him. “Wha’s tha’ supposed to mean?”

Ez chuckles, and he opens his mouth to answer but cuts himself off when a twig snaps in the woods behind them.

Rayla’s on her feet in a second. She turns, unsheaths her swords, and ushers Ez behind her when -

“Whoa, hey! It’s me!”

Rayla breathes a sigh of relief as Callum appears in the firelight with two horses and a sack of bread. She scowls. “Ye scared us half to death, Callum!” she snaps, as Ezran steps out from behind her to greet his brother.

Her own question is forgotten.

 

 

  
  
  
The home of the Dragon Queen is visible now. They’d crossed into the Breach a few days back, and there’s more danger here than ever, so the three of them have started taking turns being on watch overnight. From here, Rayla thinks they might reach the Dragon Queen by tomorrow evening if they have a good day of travel.

She stares out of the little cave they’ve camped in for the night, her back to the boys and her knees under her chin, wondering if this might really be it - if this really will be the end of a long and stupid war - when she hears Callum huff and sit up in his makeshift bed.

“Couldn’t sleep, huh?” she asks, without turning around.

“Nah." He shuffles quietly to the mouth of the cave to join her. Ez, Bait, and Zym don’t even stir as he climbs over them. “How’re you doing?”

“As well as I could be, I guess.” Rayla nods at the top of the mountain. “It’s surreal. We’ve come so far.”

“You’re telling me,” chuckles Callum. “What do you think? A day before this is all over?”

“Yeah, provided nothin’ goes wrong tomorrow.”

“You know I still haven’t asked you my last question?”

Rayla raises an eyebrow. “Seriously?” she asks, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

“Yeah,” says Callum. “Five questions I said, and Ez and I got four altogether. I get one more and… if tomorrow, it’s all over, I wanna ask it now.”

“Go on, then." Rayla chuckles and rests her cheek on her knees so she can look at him better. It’s been less than half a year since she broke into their castle trying to kill Ezran, but it feels a lot longer. Callum looks older - granted, the journey’s been pretty long and stressful - but still. His eyes are the same though; moss green as they’ve always been, and still piercing and thoughtful and like he might know everything about her already.

He sighs. “What are you gonna do when this is all over?”

“Hm?” It’s not what Rayla thought he would ask. She blinks and tries to find an answer that she realizes she doesn’t have. “I - ehm - I hadn’t thought abou’ it,” she admits. For the first time, the reality of what it means to bring Zym home hits her. The adventure will be over. The boys will go home. And her? There might not be a home for her to go back to, especially given what happened that night on the tower. She doesn’t even know where Runaan is. “Honestly, I don’ know,” she whispers. “I didn’ think we’d ever get this far.”

“Right?” chuckles Callum. “I - uh -” He looks away. “I’m not the Crown Prince of Katolis,” he says. “Ezran is. And… if the war really did end tomorrow, I’d want to keep going. Learning, I mean. I’ve learned so much about magic, and about you, and the other Elves… I was wondering - uh - if I did want to keep travelling… would - would you - er - ”

The implication hits her like a ton of bricks. “Are ye asking me to go with you?” she asks breathlessly.

Callum flushes. “I mean. Only if you want to. I guess. It’s just. This past year was… so incredible and… I can’t imagine what life would be like if I had to leave all this.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “I can’t imagine what life would be like if I had to leave  _ you _ .” It comes out as barely more than a whisper that Rayla struggles to hear, but it feels like it sets her whole being on fire.

Her heart pounds in her chest and for a moment, she forgets how to breathe. “Callum,” she manages at last. “I - ”

“I know it’s stupid,” says Callum with his face in his knees.

“Callum - ”

“Forget I ever said it, okay?”

“Callum,  _ stop talking _ ,  _ ye stupid boy. _ ” Rayla can’t help it. She’s laughing now, and she turns her face back into her knees to muffle the sound. “Wha’ a dumb question,” she says.

He scowls. “Hey, you don’t have to be  _ mean _ about it.”

She nudges him. “Did I no’ just say to stop talkin’? You have to actually let me  _ answer _ .” She breathes in gently and looks at him.  _ Really  _ looks at him, the way she imagines he does when he looks at her. She'd always had a hunch that there was maybe something there. Ezran had always hinted that there was but she'd never been brave enough to fully believe it. Now, she looks at Callum and sees it on his face, plain as day, like he can probably see it on hers. “I’ll go where ye go,” she says at last. “If ye really want me to, tha’ is.” 

“I - uh -” Callum flushes. And then he blanches and flushes again so fast, Rayla thinks she might have broken him. “ _ Really? _ ” he breathes.

“Really." She grins shyly at him, like this might be the start of something new and different and foreign to them both. “Are ye happy now? Ye got yer five questions.”

“Yeah,” whispers Callum, "I am." He grins back. They both know it’s not because of the questions.

  
  


 


End file.
